Process of making table salt



Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

' UNITED STATES FREDERICK VT. HUBER, OF RIVERSZDE, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF MAKING TABLE SALT.

No Drawing;

Rock salt as it usually occurs in nature contains too many admixed impurities to make it usable as an edible salt. Also, rock salt is a, dense hard material which, even if milled into grains of approximately the grain size of table salt, dissolves quite slowly, so that it would not give the desired salty taste, if applied to solid food. Hence rock salt, if merely crushed to the grain size of table salt, would not be entirely suitable for use as table salt.

To make an edible salt, especially a table salt, the rock salt must (according to the common processes) be dissolved to form a solution, this solution freed of its impurities and a purified brine evaporated to produce a clean edible salt. The purification necessary will depend on the nature and amount of the impurities present. Some of the common impurities can be precipitated by adding a chemical capable of precipitating the same if desired while clay, sand and the like can be removed by sedimentation, or by filtration if desired, preferably after adding a small amount or so) of hydrated lime. This solution is. then, in the prior art usually followed, evaporated to crystallization. If this step he conducted by direct heat at atmospheric pressure, the salt produced is. too fine in grain for the majority of edible purposes. If, however, evaporation is conducted under a vacuunnthe salt is of proper grain size for the majority of edible purposes and requires nogrinding or grading. The equipment necessary for producing socalled vacuum salt is however very expensive, and the operation usually must be conducted on a very large scale to be profitable.

In many of'the saline deposits in the arid lVest large bodies of rock salt occur which are often associated with mother liquor brines high in calcium chloride or in magnesium chloride from which it is a relatively simple matter by solar evaporation or otherwise to produce a concentrated and relatively pure solution of either calcium or magnesium chlorides. Also in the winning of sodium chloride by the evaporation of sea water there is produced, for every pound of sodium chloride, approximately a quarter of a pound ofmagnesium chloride associated with other magnesium salts- The making of the concentrated and relatively pure magnesium chloride brine from this waste product is a very simple matter and one which is conducted on commercial scale.

Application filed February 26, 1323. Serial Ho. 820,2?4.

Now, I have discovered that if a saturated sodium chloride solution be treated with an equalvoluine. of a saturated or other concentrated solution of either calcium or magnesium chlorides, under proper conditions, a precipitate of sodiumchloride is formed whose grain size approximates very closely the'grain size obtained by evaporation under a vacuum, namely, about 1/40 inch. Agitar tion during this step is quite important, as it greatly assists in producing the salt crystale of uniform size at a rapid rate. The entire operation is preferably conduct-ed rapidly, to prevent/the crystals'from grow ing too much. Thus if the solutions were allowed to stand several hours or over night, after mixing, a rather coarse salt would be formed, quite uneven in grain size.

The use of solution at atmospheric temperature, also greatly aids in producing crystals of small and uniform size, also the fact that the two solutions are both of-approxiinately the same temperature is of imp0r-- tauce in this respect.

In practice I preferablyhavev both the liquids, and the mixed liquid, at about 20 (1., or not more than five degrees above or below this temperature. In. practice, I treat. a volume of saturated'sodium chloride-"brine which has been purified by sedimentation, filtration or any of the ordinary methods in common use with about an equal volume of aclarified concentrated solution of either calcium or magnesium chloride and thoroughly mix-the two solutions The two solutions are preferably at about ordinary atmospheric temperature, say about 20 C. The sodium chlorid solution may be of a gravity of about 1.2, containing about 26% NaCl. The calcium chlorid solution may be of a gravitof. about L38, containing about 38%. Ca 1 This latter is about/as strong as can readily be produced by solar evaporation. It is quite important tov opera ate with highly concentrated solutions.

These two solutions are preferably mixed'in equal volumes, and the entire mixture well mixed together, by means of a suitable agitating device, and the mixtureis preferably kept well agitated for, say 20 to 30 minutes. The entire mixture can then be allowed to stand for an hour or so, in order to allow the mass to coine'to equilibrium, and for the salt crystals to settle at the bottom. About three fourths of the entire quantity of sodium chlorid will thus be thrown down. as

small crystals, say about 1/40 inch in size, while the liquor will contain all of the calcium chlorid and the rest of the sodium chlorid, in solution, This clear liquor is then decanted or drawn off and saved for f futureuse as described below. The precipitated sodium chloride is now dewatered in any convenient manner, e. g, by means of a continuous suction filter or centrifuge until the residual amount of liquid carried therein is reduced to between 2 and 6%. While still in the dewatering machine the precipitate is given 'a displacement wash preferably with saturated. brine (NaCl solution of about 26%) to displace the bulk'of the adhering spent mother liquor. After this operation the sodium chloride will be found to contain up to 5% of calcium in the form of calcium chloride. To this moist salt containing say 2 to 6% of water, I now add to and thorougly mix, the chemically equivalent amount of finely divided sodium carbonate, to combine with the calcium to form calcium carbonate. This may be conveniently efiected by tumbling the mass in a suitable tumbling apparatus, such as rotary barrel, box, or the like, or any convenient mixing apparatus can be used. l/Vhile dry sodium carbonate is thepreferred precipitatinglagent, I could also use a saturated gentle heat, preferably not above 110 (3., in'

a current Warm dry air. V i 1 As an example of the use of magnesium chlorid solution, I will state that a magnesium chlorid solution of about 37 having a gravity of'about 1.32, is mixed with a saturated solution of .NaGl, (purified as above described) in the manner above 1 described, the two being used in equal volumes. The further treatment will be as in the preceding example. f

The object of adding the sodium carbonate to the salt while in the moist stage is first to produce a uniform precipitation of very. finely divided alkaline earth carbonates which vvery effectively prevent the balling up and the aggregation of the salt particles during. clryi11g,fwhich would necessitate grinding and sorting. v,

The residual liquor of calcium chlorid or magnesium chlorid, containing some sodium chlorid, is then reconcentrated, preferably by solar evaporation, substantially to saturation with the CaCl or MgCl During this operation the major part of the NaCl therein will precipitate or crystallize, and might be purified if desired, but preferably is sold in the crude state, for use as crude salt, e. g., for making ice cream,for salting hides and the like.

The brine after being used for washing the salt crystals can be treated with calcium chlorid brine,as above described, to throw down the contained. NaCl. The relative volumes of these used will preferably be 'so adjusted as to give the same, Ga:Na

ratio as in the first example.

Where .readily obtainable, :I prefer the I employment of calcium chlorid brine, rather than magnesium chlorid brine, as the operation therewith is more readily adjusts able, and the recovery and regeneration of r the mother liquor is more simple.

The use of Na CO in powdered form as the precipitant is preferred, rather than any other of the precipitants. It gives a product which seems to have somewhat better physical stability and operates more smoothly. Also it is cheap and is generally available everywhere.

In general, with my process, it is not necessary to previously purify the brine from CaCl or MgCl,, but it is Well to treat the saturated NaCl solution with a little lime, then decant or filter, if it contains much clay or like'impurities.

I claim: I I

'1. A process of producing a free running salt which comprises (a) mixing together approximately equal volumes of highly concentrated solutions of calcium and sodium chlorides at approximately atmospheric temperature, (6) well agitating the mixed solution, whereby the major part of the sodium chloride is thrown out i as small crystals, (0) promptly separating the crystals from the remaining liquor, (cl) dewatering the crystals, (6) subjecting the crystals to a displacement wash with brine, (f) removing the washings but leaving the crystals in a moist'state, (g) adding a precipitating agent capable of precipitating calciumcompounds to the moist crystals, (h) thoroughly mixing the mass, and thereafter (i) drying. 7 r

2. A process of producing a free running table salt which comprises (a) mixing a substantially saturated solution of sodium chlorid with a solution ofcalcium chloride of about 1.38 sp. gr., such operation being from each other, (03) dewatering the crystals, (e) subjecting such crystals to a displacement Wash With strong brine, (9) adding about 2 to 6% of dry pulverulent sodium carbonate to the still moist crystals, While the latter contain a fraction of a percent of calcium compounds, (h) thoroughly mixing the dry carbonate with the salt crystals and (2') finally drying the salts, containing the reaction products of the calcium compounds and sodium carbonate.

3. A process of producing a free running table salt Which comprises (a mixing a substantially saturated solution of sodium chlorid with a solution of calcium chloride of about 1.38 sp. gr, such operation being conducted at about 20 0., and such solutions being used in about equal amounts, (6) thoroughly agitating the solution at about 20 0., and holding it at this temperature for not more than a few hours, (0) separating the crystals and the mother liquor from each other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. i FREDERICK W. HUBER. 

